Microsoft is introducing changes to Windows within the European Economic Area to conform with the regulations of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The rollout commenced on March 6, 2024. By April 2024, the majority of Windows 10 and 11 users in the EU and EEA are expected to have been provided with these updates.
For users keen to experience the modifications at the earliest opportunity, Microsoft suggests activating the “Get Windows updates as soon as they’re available for your device” setting in Windows Update. Nevertheless, testing on devices in the EU has indicated that the updates are still not widely accessible, suggesting constraints imposed by Microsoft.
The Digital Markets Act and its Influence on Windows
The Digital Markets Act is legislation devised to prevent major online corporations from unfairly leveraging their market supremacy.
In 2023, the European Commission pinpointed six major firms, including Microsoft, that serve as gatekeepers for 22 crucial platform services.
Microsoft’s Windows operating system falls within these platforms. To adhere to the DMA, Microsoft had to implement adjustments to Windows that provide users with greater authority. One notable change enables users to uninstall Microsoft Edge and Bing from Windows.
In a recent blog post, Chris Nelson, Microsoft’s Head of DMA Compliance, elucidated these modifications. Nelson categorized the changes into design and data handling adjustments.
Concerning design alterations, users in the EEA can now eliminate Microsoft Edge and Bing search from their Windows devices. Deleting these components mirrors the process of uninstalling other applications by navigating to Settings > Apps.
Important: It is advisable to install an alternate browser before uninstalling Microsoft Edge to mitigate any potential issues. The probable consequences are delineated here.
In addition to removing Edge and Bing, Microsoft is enabling the integration of third-party web applications and news feeds on the Windows taskbar and widgets panel. This adjustment facilitates the creation of plugins for Windows widgets panel by other news providers such as Google and Yahoo.
Another modification pertains to the sign-in procedure to Windows using a Microsoft account, where the automatic sign-ins to other Microsoft products for EEA users will be deactivated.
Nelson outlined two alterations in data management. Microsoft affirmed that data gathered from third-party apps on Windows PCs in the EEA will not be employed in a competitive manner against app providers. The secondary change involves revised data pathways to alert users when Microsoft amalgamates data from Windows with data from other Microsoft products and services.
Final Thoughts
These adjustments are specific to the European Economic Area and do not extend to other territories. Nonetheless, additional choices may emerge as the updates propagate further in the EEA.
Microsoft has yet to address certain issues. For instance, the necessity to sign in or establish a Microsoft account during setup remains unaltered. Although users can configure Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, this alternative is not prominently emphasized during the setup process.
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